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Wednesday, March 5, 2008*

i had a discussion with my father today, which i found to be very fruitful in answering many questions i had.

Servant leadership.
the true measure of a man is not the number of servants he has, but the number of people he serves. - Arnold Glasgow this can be seen in
many situations. Jesus himself can be considered a servant leader. after all how many people would be willing to kiss the feet of a sinner?
a story i once heard: there was once a group of mountaineers, who decided to scale the toughest mountain in the world. brought along with them was a servant (said to be a messenger from God), who did everything for them, from preperation of food to checking safety of equipment. but one
day, this servant mysteriously disappeared. it was only then that the mountaineers realised that true leadership is through the serving of others.
i think many a time we tend to generalize the concept and meaning of leadership.
even osama and hitler can be considered great leaders in that sense. it must take a crazy amount
of charisma to convince others do die for your cause. mobilizing the entire of germany into a world war is no small feat either. even Qin shi huang (i think thats him), who even though ruled with an iron fist, made many large contributions to ancient china. but ultimately, its your values that determine the leader you are.
i think many of us need to see that. we've lost sight of the true spirit of service..

a certain Robert K. Greenleaf, was once a very VERY successful and wealthy businessman. but after
a life changing experience while on a nature trip, he realised that "hey, why am i trying so hard to earn money? how about giving back to the community?"
".... the great leader is seen as servant first, and that simple fact is the key to his greatness.

The servant leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead."

Robert K. Greenleaf
"The Servant as Leader"

A servant leader holds both organisational goals and people development in stewardship.

The servant leader serves the purpose and intentions of the organisation and/or team as well as the growth and development of the people being led.

Robert Greenleaf then quit his job in his large MNC, and set up a centre for servant leadership, aiming to educate others in this aspect and by doing so, being a servant leader himself.

"No one has learned the meaning of life until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellow men" - Beran Wolfe

"Service is the rent that we pay for our room on earth" - Lord Halifax

"to devote a portion of one's leisure to doing something for someone else is one of the highest forms of recreation" - Gerald B. Fitzgerald

"to give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity" - Donald A. Adams

"try to forget yourself in the service of others. for when we think too much of ourselves and our own interests, we easily become despondant. But when we work for others, our efforts return to bless us" - Sidney Powell

"WHEN A PERSON IS DOWN IN THE WORLD, AN OUNCE OF HELP IS BETTER THAN A POUND OF PREACHING." - Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

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